Generally, integrated circuits are mass produced by forming many identical circuit patterns on a single silicon wafer. Integrated circuits, also commonly referred to as semiconductor devices, are made of various materials that may be electrically conductive, electrically nonconductive (insulators) or electrically semiconductive. It is advantageous to reduce the number of steps in the fabrication process to reduce fabrication costs and increase quality and reliability, since the opportunities for the occurrence of disabling defects is reduced. In this way, electronic equipment becomes more reliable, assembly and packaging costs are minimized and circuit performance is improved.
Random access memory devices such as Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAMs) and Static Random Access Memories (SRAMs) include memory cells for storing data and peripheral circuits for switching signals in and out of the memory cells. It is desirable to form the transistors in the peripheral circuits at the same time transistors, capacitors and other components are formed in the memory cell array to minimize the number of processing steps necessary for fabrication of the entire device. During formation of the memory cells, layers of polysilicon and oxide insulators are deposited, patterned and etched to form the memory cell components. At the same time, these polysilicon and oxide layers are also being deposited and, to some extent, further processed in the area of the chip where the peripheral circuit transistors are formed. The efficiency of the overall process flow is enhanced to the extent the formation of transistors in the peripheral circuit can be integrated into the formation of memory cell components.